Using Helical CT to Predict Stone Fragility in Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL).

Great variability exists in the response of urinary stones to SWL, and this is true even for stones composed of the same mineral. Efforts have been made to predict stone fragility to shock waves using computed tomography (CT) patient images, but most work to date has focused on the use of stone CT number (i.e., Hounsfield units). This is an easy number to measure on a patient stone, but its value depends on a number of factors, including the relationship of the size of the stone to the resolution (i.e., the slicewidth) of the CT scan. Studies that have shown a relationship between stone CT number and failure in SWL are reviewed, and all are shown to suffer from error due to stone size, which was not accounted for in the use of Hounsfield unit values. Preliminary data are then presented for a study of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) stones, in which stone structure-rather than simple CT number values-is shown to correlate with fragility to shock waves. COM stones that were observed to have structure by micro CT (e.g., voids, apatite regions, unusual shapes) broke to completion in about half the number of shock waves required for COM stones that were observed to be homogeneous in structure by CT. This result suggests another direction for the use of CT in predicting success of SWL: the use of CT to view stone structure, rather than simply measuring stone CT number. Viewing stone structure by CT requires the use of different viewing windows than those typically used for examining patient scans, but much research to date indicates that stone structure can be observed in the clinical setting. Future clinical studies will need to be done to verify the relationship between stone structure observed by CT and stone fragility in SWL

The adverse childhood experiences questionnaire: Two decades of research on childhood trauma as a primary cause of adult mental illness, addiction, and medical diseases

Objective. In 1998, Felitti and colleagues published the first study of the Adverse Childhood Experiences-Questionnaire (ACE-Q), a 10-item scale used to correlate childhood maltreatment and adverse rearing contexts with adult health outcomes. This paper qualitatively reviews nearly two decades of research utilizing the ACE-Q, highlighting its contribution to our understanding of the causal roots of common, interlinked comorbidities of the brain and body.Methods. An OVID/PubMed search was conducted for English language articles published before 2016, containing the phrase “Adverse Childhood Experiences” in which the ACE-Q was utilized. Source review included a manual search of bibliographies, resulting in 134 articles, including 44 based on the original ACE-Q study population.Results. ACE-Q research has demonstrated that exposures to adverse childhood experiences converge dose-dependently to potently increase the risk for a wide array of causally interlinked mental illnesses, addictions, and multi-organ medical diseases. The intergenerational transmission of this disease burden via disrupted parenting and insecure rearing contexts is apparent throughout this literature. However, the ACE-Q does not tease out genetic or fetal drug exposure components of this transmission.Conclusions. Adverse childhood experiences and rearing may generate a public health burden that could rival or exceed all other root causes. Translating this information to health-care reform will require strengthening brain-behavioral health as core public and preventative health-care missions. Greater integration of mental health and addiction services for parents should be accompanied by more research into brain mechanisms impacted by different forms and interactions between adverse childhood experiences

Estimation of urinary stone composition by automated processing of CT images

The objective of this article was developing an automated tool for routine clinical practice to estimate urinary stone composition from CT images based on the density of all constituent voxels. A total of 118 stones for which the composition had been determined by infrared spectroscopy were placed in a helical CT scanner. A standard acquisition, low-dose and high-dose acquisitions were performed. All voxels constituting each stone were automatically selected. A dissimilarity index evaluating variations of density around each voxel was created in order to minimize partial volume effects: stone composition was established on the basis of voxel density of homogeneous zones. Stone composition was determined in 52% of cases. Sensitivities for each compound were: uric acid: 65%, struvite: 19%, cystine: 78%, carbapatite: 33.5%, calcium oxalate dihydrate: 57%, calcium oxalate monohydrate: 66.5%, brushite: 75%. Low-dose acquisition did not lower the performances (P < 0.05). This entirely automated approach eliminates manual intervention on the images by the radiologist while providing identical performances including for low-dose protocols

Impaired Insulin/IGF1 Signaling Extends Life Span by Promoting Mitochondrial L-Proline Catabolism to Induce a Transient ROS Signal

SummaryImpaired insulin and IGF-1 signaling (iIIS) in C. elegans daf-2 mutants extends life span more than 2-fold. Constitutively, iIIS increases mitochondrial activity and reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. By contrast, acute impairment of daf-2 in adult C. elegans reduces glucose uptake and transiently increases ROS. Consistent with the concept of mitohormesis, this ROS signal causes an adaptive response by inducing ROS defense enzymes (SOD, catalase), culminating in ultimately reduced ROS levels despite increased mitochondrial activity. Inhibition of this ROS signal by antioxidants reduces iIIS-mediated longevity by up to 60%. Induction of the ROS signal requires AAK-2 (AMPK), while PMK-1 (p38) and SKN-1 (NRF-2) are needed for the retrograde response. IIIS upregulates mitochondrial L-proline catabolism, and impairment of the latter impairs the life span-extending capacity of iIIS while L-proline supplementation extends C. elegans life span. Taken together, iIIS promotes L-proline metabolism to generate a ROS signal for the adaptive induction of endogenous stress defense to extend life span

Automated information system for the classification of data from XML documents

The article presents the developed automated information system that solves the task of structuring information obtained from the xml file and storing it in the database. Also, this AIS allows to change the information and upload it to the formats xls and xml

Структура Водораздельной рудной зоны Многовершинного месторождения золота: данные по открытым горным выработкам и керну скважин

Актуальность работы обусловлена необходимостью доизучения структуры Многовершинного месторождения золота с целью повышения точности прогнозирования размеров потенциально рудных жил при проведении разведочных работ. Цель работы: уточнение строения рудной зоны Водораздельная Многовершинного месторождения золота. Методы исследования. Определение кинематики перемещений по разрывным нарушениям было выполнено методами стрейн-анализа. Прослеживание на глубину структур и увязка их пересечений в открытых выработках и керне скважин выполнено по разработанной нами методике учета структурных данных по неориентированному керну. Результаты. Выдвинута гипотеза о генетической связи отдельных систем разрывных нарушений с перемещениями по крупным разломам, определяющим структуру месторождения. Выделены системы сопряженных трещин, соответствующие дорудному, рудному, пострудному этапам становления месторождения. Результаты структурного анализа показывают, что основными рудоконтролирующими структурами являются трещины скола - сместители разрывов северо-восточного простирания, заложенные в предрудный этап и испытавшие подновление в рудный. На основе предложенной методики статистической обработки и учета углов к оси неориентированного керна проведен поиск рудоконтролирующих разрывных структур, прослеженных как на поверхности, так и бурением. Была подтверждена высокая вероятность их идентификации в керне скважин. Глубина экстраполяции выбрана исходя из наиболее вероятной максимальной глубины влияния рудоконтролирующих разрывов и глубины эрозионного среза. Замеренные для контактов жил углы к оси керна были пересчитаны в углы и азимуты падения с шагом поворота вокруг оси керна в 10? - для каждого замера рассчитаны 36 равновероятных положения. Из полученного массива данных по углу и азимуту падения были выбраны с определенным допуском замеры по элементам, сонаправленным структурным элементам, выделенным по поверхности. Таким образом, была оценена глубина развития отдельных систем трещин, относящихся к рудному этапу. Полученные результаты дают количественную характеристику выдержанности рудовмещающих трещин. Сформулированы требования к результатам документации керна для применения использованной методики для увязки пересечений по неориентированному керну.The relevance of the discussed issue is caused by the need of further investigation of the MNV gold deposit tectonic structure. The main aim of the studyis to increase the probability of forecasting the spatial properties of ore-bearing vein zones. The methods used in the study: strain-analysis of vein-containing structures and a new method of recognizing geological structures between the surface and the deep horizons using statistic data obtained from core documentation. The results. The author has put forward the hypothesis on a genetic relation of individual fault systems in the Vodorazdelnaya ore zone and the movements upon major faults. These faults define the structure of the whole Mnogovershinnoye deposit. Few systems of ajoint cracks were dedicated. These fractures were formed before, after and exactly in the ore stage. The carried out analysis shows that shear cracks (the main faults with North-Eastern strike) were the ore-controlling structures. They were formed in pre-ore stage and then they were reactivated in the ore stage. The proposed method for recognizing geological structures is based on finding intersections (data extrapolation) between structural data obtained by open mining and the accounted results of undirected diamond drilling core documentation. The depth of extrapolation was chosen as a maximum dipping depth of single investigated fractures due to erosion. Strike and dip angles for contacts, measured against core axis, were calculated in 36 positions of equal probability as if the plane of the contact was turned around the core axis with 10° discretion. A pair of dipping azimuth and angle was the key to recognize the same structures in trenches and in the core. So the author could measure the vertical dimension of cracks and veinlets as well as their consistency and proposed the requirements for documentation of core for implementation of the discussed method

Адаптивные изменения системы менеджмента качества организации

Цель работы – улучшение деятельности организации путем применения новых концепций менеджмента качества. В результате исследования разработано: рекомендации для перехода на новую версию стандарта ISO 9001:2015, формы по разделам стандарта: 4.1 Понимание организации и ее среды, 4.2 Понимание потребностей и ожиданий заинтересованных сторон, 6.1 Действие в отношении рисков и возможностей, 7.5 Документированная информация; методика по оценке знаний в организации. Область применения: организации, у которых внедрена и действует система менеджмента качества. Значимость работы: разработанные рекомендации лягут в основу при переходе на новую версию стандарта ISO 9001.The work purpose – improvement of activity of the organization by application of new concepts of quality management. As a result of research it is developed: recommendations for transition to the new version of the ISO 9001:2015 standard forms according to sections of the standard 4.1 Understanding of the organization and its environment, 4.2 Understanding of requirements and expectations of interested parties, 6.1 Action concerning risks and opportunities, 7.5 Documentary information; technique according to knowledge in the organization. Scope: the organizations at which it is introduced and the quality management system works. Importance of work: the developed recommendations will form the basis upon transition to the new version of the ISO 9001 standard

Обзор и назначение экономических информационных систем

ObjectivesThis study was designed to develop a technique to selectively increase the sympathetic tone to the heart by cardiac sympathetic nerve stimulation (SNS).BackgroundAccess to the cardiac sympathetic neurons may allow modulating the adrenergic tone of the heart while avoiding systemic side effects.MethodsCardiac sympathetic nerves course within neural sleeves along the subclavian artery. Because of this proximity, transvascular SNS was attempted with electrode catheters inside the subclavian artery in 16 pigs.ResultsRight/left (R-/L-) SNS (20 Hz) during ventricular pacing at 200/min evoked a >100% increase of left ventricular systolic pressure (baseline: 51 ± 1 mm Hg; L-SNS: 118 ± 26 mm Hg; R-SNS: 116 ± 33 mm Hg; p < 0.001) while systemic vascular resistance remained unchanged. There was a sigmoid dose-response curve with rapid on- and offset of the effect during SNS initiation/cessation. Positive inotropic effects persisted for 12 h of continued SNS (n = 4). Besides positive dromotropic effects, L-SNS/R-SNS yielded a 41% and 77% sinus rate increase, respectively.ConclusionsThe neural adrenergic tone to the heart can be selectively increased by catheter stimulation of cardiac efferent sympathetic nerves